Vu Lan 2024

Every year during the seventh lunar month, Vietnamese Buddhist monasteries around the globe come alive with the special occasion, Vu Lan ceremony, an annual tradition widely anticipated by Vietnamese Buddhists. This year, Lien Tam monastery joins in the festivities, hosting the ceremony on August 31st. The event will be honored by the presence of respected monks from Finland and across Europe and Asia. Let's discover more about this meaningful celebration.

Location : Lien Tam Monastery- Moisiontie 225, 20400 Turku
Date : August 31, 2024
Time : 9:00 - 16:00
Entrance fee : FREE
Activities : Ritual chanting, Dharma talk, Hungry ghosts offering, etc.
Offerings : Free lunch (vegetarian food), Marketplace

What is Vu Lan ceremony and its meaning?

Vu Lan or Ullambana, is a significant Buddhist festival celebrated primarily in Vietnam, but also in other Asian countries. It falls on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month.

Vu Lan ceremony is an occassion to remind everyone to show gratitude to parents. This is the core meaning of the Vu Lan Festival. On this day, children express their deep appreciation for their parents' love and care. It's a day for children to honor their parents, who might have passed away, for giving them life and raising them. In addition, the Vu Lan Festival is a beautiful cultural tradition that helps people remember their roots and uphold moral values.

Activities at Vu Lan ceremony at Lien Tam monastery

Chanting: The monks chant sutras to help the deceased find peace and to bring blessings to the participants.

Dharma talk: The monks usually deliver a short dharma talk, in which Buddhist practitioners are reminded the holy teachings of Buddha, particularly about the gratitude to parents and ancesters for their sacrifies.

Rose Pinning Ceremony: A Buddhist tradition where people pin roses on their clothing to express gratitude and remembrance. The white rose, a symbol of loss, is worn to remember a deceased parent during the Vu Lan Festival. The red rose signifies the presence of a living parent, while the yellow rose worn by monks represents the Buddhist principle of compassion towards all beings.

Hungry ghost offering: While the Vu Lan festival centers around filial piety and honoring parents, the hungry ghost offering ritual is focused on providing spiritual comfort and liberation for lost souls. The ritual also teaches the us that life is impermanent, emphasizing the importance of cherishing the present moment, practicing generosity and forgiving one another.

Vu Lan Marketplace

Every year, supporters spend their time gathering at Lien Tam monastery and preparing foods and drinks to offer visitors and also for sales with affordable prices. The main purpose of this commercial part is not to gain profit but to offer chances for those who have lived years away from their home countries, to taste and even take away their tradtional foods and drinks, which they have little chance to enjoy in their daily life in Finland. Offerings are quite diversed from noodle soups to cakes, snacks, coffee, tea and even traditional souvenir can also be found at reasonable prices here. The profit will be used for the construction of the monastery and other charity purposes.

Free lunch

Coming to the event, visitors are served with delicious Asian/Vietnamese vegetarian lunch buffet with a variety of selection. It is fresh, free and tasty. All visitors need to do is get in queue and take turn to get good food from the free food counter.

About Lien Tam monastery

Lien Tam Monastery is a Buddhist cultural center situated approximately 10 kilometers northeast of Turku city center at Moisiontie 225, 20400 Turku. Founded by the Finnish Vietnamese Buddhist Community, the monastery serves as a place to cultivate Buddhist philosophy and lifestyle while preserving Vietnamese cultural heritage in Finland.

Made possible through the generous support of both Buddhist and non-Buddhist individuals worldwide, Lien Tam Monastery is home to respected Buddhist monks dedicated to teaching the Buddha's wisdom (Dharma). We warmly welcome visitors of all backgrounds to explore inner peace, meditation, and mindfulness.

Thank you very much for visiting this page, we look forward to welcoming you to the event. For those who cannot make it on August 31st to the monastery, you can still follow the event livestreamed on the monastery's Facebook page: Lien Tam Luostari - Lien Tam Monastery. The event will also be livestreamed on the master's Facebook page: Thich Hanh Bao .

Contact us at [email protected] if you wish to learn more detailed information about this event.